First found in Bedfordshire , where Bidwell was said to be a picturesque hamlet lying to the north-west of Houghton village. There is an early record of a Stephen de Bedewellin in Essex in the Calendar of the Close Rolls, in 1229.

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: John Bedwell, who came to Somers Islands in 1662; Elizabeth Bedwell, who arrived in Virginia in 1664; Hugh Bidwell, who arrived in South Carolina sometime between 1670 and 1679.

For more information on the last name bedwell, the PDF Surname History is available for purchase as well as other products.